Jaekle Expected To Quit Race

Jaekle May Quit Race

Senate Candidate To Drop Out Today, Gop Sources Say

After much difficulty attracting campaign financing, Robert G. Jaekle has scheduled a "major announcement" today at which Republican sources expect him to withdraw from the race for the U.S. Senate.

Jaekle, the former House minority leader from Stratford, declined to comment Monday on his intentions until today's 11 a.m. press conference.

Highly placed Republican sources said Jaekle, who has raised less than $100,000 in the six months he has been a candidate, has concluded it would be difficult to compete against his two better-financed GOP rivals.

They are state Rep. Christopher B. Burnham of Stamford, whose Marine tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm served as a launching pad for his Senate bid; and Brook Johnson, a Greenwich businessman whose entry into the race less than three weeks ago dramatically altered its outlook.

Burnham and Johnson are vying for the right to oppose Democrat Christopher J. Dodd, the two-term incumbent.

Burnham, a candidate since November, has the lead in delegates, although Johnson, who has pledged to spend as much as $4 million on his campaign, will have a huge edge in fund-raising.

The sources, who requested anonymity because they wanted to avoid upstaging Jaekle, said the former legislative leader has roughly 320 delegates committed to him, far short of the number needed to cinch the GOP endorsement.

Under party rules, a candidate needs 20 percent of the convention delegates, or 260, to qualify for a statewide primary, and more than 50 percent, or 646, to win the endorsement.

Although Jaekle now has more than enough delegates to get on the Sept. 15 primary ballot, it was widely believed that his support was eroding in the face of Johnson's eleventh-hour drive.

Even if Jaekle were to hang on to his 20 percent, he has said repeatedly he would not participate in a primary unless he was the party-endorsed candidate. As of late last week, it appeared unlikely that would happen.

Refusing Monday to be specific about his future, Jaekle hinted at a possible turnabout, saying he might drop his delegate search and concentrate instead on a September primary.

However, party insiders said they believe that Jaekle is out of the race, and that the majority of his delegates will flock to Johnson, a political novice who immediately set out to improve his name recognition with a massive TV ad campaign.

"The worst-case scenario is that Jaekle's delegates will split 50-50" for Burnham and Johnson, said one Republican source. "I think this guarantees that Johnson gets his 20 percent."

Burnham said Monday that he expects to win the convention endorsement regardless of what Jaekle says or does today.

"I'm on the eve of victory," said Burnham, who has raised about $300,000 to date. "I've got over the 650 delegates needed to nominate and I have no doubt I will win a primary" against Johnson.

Jaekle, 40, ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor two years ago on a ticket headed by John G. Rowland. A lawyer, Jaekle was a member of the state House from 1976 to 1990, serving stints as majority and minority leader.

He has said he might be interested in the Republican auditor's job, which has been vacant for several months